Survey: 41% of Armenian population campaign for European integration

ArmInfo. According to the findings of the joint public opinion poll conducted by the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor Office (HCAV) and APR Group, 78.8% of the respondents consider France to be the friendliest country for
Armenia. The following countries rank next: Russia (61.1%), Germany
(53.8%), Greece (48.9%), and China (44.8%).

The respondents also named the foes of Armenia. Azerbaijan tops that
list (96.6%), with Turkey ranking next (91.3%).

When asked what integration project Armenia should join, 41% of the
respondents named the European Union, 25% - the Eurasian Economic
Union, 6% are both for the EU and for the EEU, and 9% are against the
republic's participation in any of the specified structures.

"If we compare these findings with the results of the surveys
conducted in 2014 and 2015, we see that at that time, 25% and 24% of
the respondents respectively campaigned for joining the EU; 38% and
36% - for the EEU, 12% and 13% - for both the EU and the EEU; and 10%
and 8% came out against any integration. The current findings
demonstrate that the citizens' position has undergone serious changes
and when choosing between the EU and the EEU they give their
preference to the EU," says HCAV's press release sent to ArmInfo.

"It is noteworthy that 39.3% of the respondents who consider Russia
to be a friendly country give their preference to European
integration and only 29.7% of them come out for the EEU," the survey
says.

At the same time, 72% of the respondents think that Armenia's
condition is deteriorating with every passing day. 42% of the
respondents said that they would unambiguously leave Armenia if they
had such an opportunity. 17% more respondents pointed out that they
would probably leave the republic. The number of those wishing to
leave the country has also increased.

The survey was conducted in August 2016 by the CAPI method, with
1,200 respondents interviewed. The findings of the survey have also
been compared with the results of the public opinion polls conducted
in 2014 and 2015.